{"id":593972,"date":"2025-02-22T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-22T12:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/593972\/"},"modified":"2025-02-22T12:00:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T12:00:27","slug":"12-hours-on-japans-sleeper-express-through-the-snowiest-country%e3%80%90%f0%9f%87%af%f0%9f%87%b5sunrise-express-izumo%e3%80%91%e2%9b%84%ef%b8%8f%e2%9d%84%ef%b8%8f%f0%9f%9a%9e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/593972\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Hours on Japan\u2019s Sleeper Express Through the Snowiest Country\u3010\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5Sunrise Express Izumo\u3011\u26c4\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f\ud83d\ude9e"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title = \"12 Hours on Japan\u2019s Sleeper Express Through the Snowiest Country\u3010\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5Sunrise Express Izumo\u3011\u26c4\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f\ud83d\ude9e\"   width=\"580\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MOy82Fxd_dk\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<br \/>\n12 Hours on Japan\u2019s Sleeper Express Through the Snowiest Country\u3010\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5Sunrise Express Izumo\u3011\u26c4\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f\ud83d\ude9e<br \/>\n<br \/>\nI&#8217;m taking a B-class single room on the sleeper train. What unfolds is a completely different world in deep snow. I&#8217;m left speechless by its overwhelming beauty. Good evening, everyone! I\u2019m here in front of Tokyo Station (Marunouchi side). Tonight, I will be boarding the Sunrise Izumo sleeper train. The destination is Izumo City Station in Shimane. I\u2019m really looking forward to the journey<br \/>\nthrough the snowy mountainous areas. Every time I see it, I\u2019m overwhelmed<br \/>\nby the grandeur of this building. As expected of Japan&#8217;s largest terminal station. I\u2019m heading to the ticket office to pick up tonight&#8217;s ticket. I pick it up from the ticket vending machine. The total is \u00a523,010, which is about $148 or \u20ac142.6. That\u2019s the price for a B-class bed single room. Alright, I&#8217;ve finally entered. I\u2019m really excited. First, I\u2019ll buy my dinner bento box for tonight. Here it is. Right here. Oh no, but it&#8217;s almost sold out ! I thus head to another bento shop and manage to get one. What a good relief! I\u2019m heading to the platform early. I\u2019ve found the sign of Sunrise Express. It seems that getting a shower ticket<br \/>\n is difficult, so I line up an hour early. At 21:25, the Sunrise Izumo has arrived. The destination stations are being displayed. It&#8217;s Izumo City Station. I am the second in line. I should have no<br \/>\n trouble getting a shower ticket tonight. I&#8217;m glad I prepared some coins. The price is \u00a5330\/ $2.12. A reasonable price! I should have taken the coins<br \/>\n out of my wallet beforehand. I regret it. Great! I am able to get it! The Sunrise Izumo train that I\u2019ll be staying<br \/>\nin for the night is alongside the local train. The Sunrise Seto bound for Takamatsu is<br \/>\ncoupled with the Izumo bound for Izumo City. On the left is the Seto, and on the right<br \/>\nis the Izumo. They are happily touching! Since I&#8217;m at the end of the train, I\u2019ll walk a bit faster. Tonight, I\u2019ll be in this B-class bed single room car. Now, I\u2019m finally going inside. Here we go! I walk straight down the narrow<br \/>\npassageway that can fit one person. I go down the stair&#8230; &#8230;and turn around&#8230; Yes! Room 10 at the end of the first floor. It\u2019s on the left side facing the direction of travel, the Pacific side. It\u2019s more spacious than I expected. The bed is approximately 1.9m (6.5ft)<br \/>\nlong and about 0.7m (1.11ft) wide. It\u2019s ample length and width even for adults. The ceiling is high, and there\u2019s a hanger. There\u2019s loungewear, a pillow, and a blanket neatly folded. A sanitized cup is also provided. Great! These are slippers for use inside the train.<br \/>\nOf course, you&#8217;re not allowed to take them home. Here is the AC power outlet. There are<br \/>\nsome instructions, but it works reliably. Now, let&#8217;s try closing the door. I click it shut and lock it securely. Since I&#8217;m in the last(front) room, the<br \/>\nconductor quickly comes by to check tickets. At 21:50, we depart Tokyo Station right on time. Watching the people waiting for the local trains<br \/>\non their way home, I\u2019ve felt a strange sense of feelings. The train quietly accelerates away from the platform. I feel so nice. The skyscrapers of Tokyo are slowly fading away. Sayonara Tokyo! I stretch my legs out on the bed and take a deep breath. Looking up, I see something. A ventilation vent is here. And to the right, there\u2019s a smoke detector. It&#8217;s non-smoking except in the smoking cars (cars 6 and 13), so be careful. There are clock and other devices on the wall. I won&#8217;t use the alarm since I have<br \/>\nmy phone, but it operates with a button. About 10 minutes after departure,<br \/>\nNo way, the train does start to sway a bit. The radio service has ended,<br \/>\nso fiddling with it is pointless&#8230; \ud83d\ude02 Here\u2019s the heater adjustment for the room. And here\u2019s the button for the interior lights. It\u2019s on\/off. Don\u2019t forget the SOS buzzer button.<br \/>\nIt will be needed in case of emergencies. You can place your shoes next to<br \/>\nthe slippers at the entrance, but&#8230; There\u2019s also space next to the shoes for other luggage. Lastly, here\u2019s the floor map of the train. Cars 1-7<br \/>\ngo to Takamatsu, and cars 8-14 go to Izumo City. Since the train has just started<br \/>\nmoving, this is the speed (km\/ph). Before long, we arrive at our first stop, Yokohama Station. The lighting in the station is dazzling. After a stop of about one minute,<br \/>\nwe depart from Yokohama Station. There are people here to see passengers off. I still feel like I&#8217;m moving within Tokyo. The window is large and very comfortable. Sayonara Yokohama! I\u2019m hungry. It\u2019s bento time! I chose a bento that supports Tohoku, using<br \/>\ningredients from various places in the region. It includes grilled mackerel from Miyagi, tempura from Fukushima, salmon from Sanriku, and konjac from Yamagata&#8230; a feast of Tohoku ingredients! And bracken from Akita. It\u2019s crunchy and delicious. Aomori\u2019s simmered scallop, full of flavor. I cant stop eating. I\u2019ve finished it all in one go. Thank you! Now, let\u2019s go on a tour of the train! Don\u2019t forget the digital lock. It\u2019s securely locked. Some people have already changed into their loungewear. Here\u2019s the washbasin. It\u2019s spacious and can be separated by a curtain. Soap is provided, and there\u2019s also an AC outlet. Not only cold water, but hot water is also available. Here\u2019s the restroom. It\u2019s compact and very clean inside. Car 13. This is also a B sleeper single room, but it\u2019s a smoking car. The smell of tobacco drifts into the aisle. Car 12 is the Nobi Nobi seating room. Although it\u2019s a shared space, there are dividers, making it popular among those looking to save money or students. Oops, this is a shower room exclusive to A-Class sleepers. Car 11 is for A sleeper single deluxe,<br \/>\nthe highest class available in the train. It is fully booked this time, but I\u2019d definitely<br \/>\n like to travel in one of these rooms next time. This is the shower room. Let\u2019s go inside. There\u2019s a basket for clothes in the changing area. Inside the shower room, there are also shampoos provided. I will use the shower card I purchased. Be careful, as hot water is available for only six minutes. The water pressure is decent and comfortable. After using the shower, remember to press<br \/>\nthe cleaning button to wash the room. There\u2019s a hairdryer provided, but&#8230; The airflow isn\u2019t very strong. I felt relieved after taking a shower. Since it\u2019s cold tonight in the winter, I\u2019ve<br \/>\ndecided not to change into loungewear. The single room on the first floor<br \/>\nexperiences this level of swaying consistently. The speed is roughly around 100 km ph(62mph). Around 23:35, we\u2019re passing Numazu.<br \/>\nAfter this, we\u2019ll go beyond Shizuoka, Nagoya&#8230; And then through Osaka and Kurashiki,<br \/>\nheading over the mountains toward Izumo City. It\u2019s past 0:30. I think I\u2019ll close the curtain and go to sleep. Good night. Good morning. There\u2019s some swaying, but surprisingly, I slept very well. When I open the curtain, the outside<br \/>\n light gently illuminates the room. That light is so beautiful. It\u2019s still quite dark outside.<br \/>\nThe streetlights are shining brightly. After passing Himeji Station, there will be<br \/>\n a car uncoupling operation at Okayama Station. Many passengers in the train are waiting to<br \/>\n watch that uncoupling operation at Okayama Station. Let\u2019s go! Ah, it\u2019s really chilling outside! The uncoupling has started right away. I can hear the voices of a little child. The Sunrise Seto bound for<br \/>\nTakamatsu (on the left) will depart first. It seems like the child has<br \/>\nreceived a souvenir from the driver. Okay, it\u2019s cold, so I\u2019ll hurry back. I\u2019m passing through the Nobi Nobi seating area&#8230; As you can see, it has carpeted floors.<br \/>\n I definitely want to try this seat next time. As we leave Okayama, the sky begins to brighten. The sunrise is today scheduled for 7:12. After leaving Kurashiki, we\u2019ll finally traverse<br \/>\nthe Chugoku region via the Hakubi Line. After a while, the mountains are illuminated by the morning sun, and the surrounding area turns into a snowy landscape! I\u2019m truly overwhelmed by the<br \/>\n pure white, snow-covered world. A local train is waiting to pass. In the lounge of car 10, there are<br \/>\npeople also enjoying the snowy scenery. I\u2019ve returned to my room. The snow continues to fall heavily, making visibility difficult. Just watching it calms my heart. The silver snowy world continues. My travel companion is Patrick Lafcadio<br \/>\nHearn\u2019s \u201cGlimpses of Unfamiliar Japan.\u201d I think of the foreigner who landed in<br \/>\n \u201cthe Place of the Issuing of Clouds\u201d 135 years ago. He, Koizumi Yakumo, a pioneer who was deeply fascinated by Japan, called the Japanese he met \u201ctireless travelers.\u201d For breakfast, I have the rice balls<br \/>\nI bought at Tokyo Station last night. Eating rice balls in front of the snowy scenery is exceptional. I can\u2019t get tired of looking at it. If I could, I would want to continue this journey forever. The space next to the bed can also be used for luggage. After passing Matsue, I can see<br \/>\nthe expansive, blue Shinji Lake. Today, the \u201cPlace of the Issuing of Clouds\u201d<br \/>\nor \u201cYakumo\u201d has truly appeared before me. The journey is nearing its final destination. I leave the room with some sentiments. At 10:04, we arrive at our destination,<br \/>\nIzumo City Station, 5 minutes late due to the snow. I\u2019m grateful to the Sunrise Izumo<br \/>\n for giving me a night\u2019s dream. Thank you for watching. Please leave a comment and subscribe to the channel!<br \/>\n<br \/>\nOn the other side of the tunnel is a snow country\u2014. I have traveled to Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture on the only sleeper train in Japan that runs daily, the Sunrise Izumo\/Seto. This time I take a B Single private room for this journey. Over a distance of about 950 kilometers (590 miles) and a 12-hour trip, I\u2019ve encountered many beautiful landscapes, including stunning snowfields in the mountains and the blue Lake Shinji. Please experience this journey through the video!\u3000Please leave a comment and give it a like!<br \/>\n&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br \/>\nUseful Links (\u95a2\u9023\u60c5\u5831)\uff1a<br \/>\n&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd3dVisit Izumo Official Site\u3000 \ud83d\udc49\u3000<br \/>\n\u3000https:\/\/www.izumo-kankou.gr.jp\/english\/<br \/>\n\ud83d\udd3dIzumo Oyashiro Shrine\u3000 \ud83d\udc49<br \/>\n  https:\/\/izumooyashiro.or.jp\/en\/<br \/>\n\ud83d\udd3dVisit Matsue Official Site.  \ud83d\udc49<br \/>\n\u3000https:\/\/www.visit-matsue.com<br \/>\n\ud83d\udd3d The Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum   \ud83d\udc49<br \/>\n  https:\/\/www.hearn-museum-matsue.jp\/english.html<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd3d\u30b3\u30e1\u30f3\u30c8\u53ca\u3073\u30c1\u30e3\u30f3\u30cd\u30eb\u767b\u9332\u3088\u308d\u3057\u304f\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\uff01(Please subscribe my channel)<br \/>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ArigatoSoloTravel<br \/>\n&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br \/>\nChapter (\u76ee\u6b21\u6a5f\u80fd)\uff1a<br \/>\n&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br \/>\n00:00 Opening<br \/>\n00:22 Tokyo Station<br \/>\n02:54 Sunrise Express arrives at Tokyo Station<br \/>\n07:51 Sunrise Express departs Tokyo<br \/>\n13:53 Onboard Tour<br \/>\n20:22 Scenes in the Morning<br \/>\n21:30 Uncoupling at Okayama Station<br \/>\n24:11 Snow Country \u2460<br \/>\n27:16 Snow Country \u2461<br \/>\n28:45 Shinji Lake in Blue<br \/>\n29:31 Arriving at Izumo City Station<br \/>\n29:58 Epilogue <\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br \/>\nOther Recommended videos (\u30aa\u30b9\u30b9\u30e1\u52d5\u753b)\uff1a<br \/>\n&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br \/>\n\ud83d\udd3d Snow Monkey Resort Experience 2025 \/ Adorable Snow Monkeys Soak in the Hot Spring!!<br \/>\n\u3000\ud83d\udc49\u3000https:\/\/youtu.be\/6w9f0Lt0lWY<\/p>\n<p>#japan<br \/>\n#japantravel<br \/>\n#japantravelvlog<br \/>\n#solotravel<br \/>\n#solotrip<br \/>\n#sleepertrain<br \/>\n#sleeper train<br \/>\n#sleeper train Japan<br \/>\n#sunriseexpress<br \/>\n#sunrise express<br \/>\n#sunrise express Izumo<br \/>\n#koizumi yakumo<br \/>\n#\u30b5\u30f3\u30e9\u30a4\u30ba\u51fa\u96f2<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>12 Hours on Japan\u2019s Sleeper Express Through the Snowiest Country\u3010\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5Sunrise Express Izumo\u3011\u26c4\ufe0f\u2744\ufe0f\ud83d\ude9e I&#8217;m takin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":593973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[32,7439,61246,348830,67877,19984,49232,121673,348831,264111,4450,4526,9620,144532,4448,145008,10336],"class_list":{"0":"post-593972","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chugoku-region","8":"tag-japan","9":"tag-japantravel","10":"tag-sleeper-train","11":"tag-sleeper-train-japan","12":"tag-sleepertrain","13":"tag-solotravel","14":"tag-solotrip","15":"tag-sunrise-express","16":"tag-sunrise-express-japan","17":"tag-sunriseexpress","18":"tag-4450","19":"tag-4526","20":"tag-9620","21":"tag-144532","22":"tag-4448","23":"tag-145008","24":"tag-10336"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593972\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/593973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wacoca.com\/tour\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}